title: Granulocytic sarcoma of pediatric head and neck: an institutional experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate a case series of granulocytic sarcoma of the head and neck found in the pediatric population and review long-term outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pathology database at a tertiary hospital was searched for patients with biopsy specimens from the head and neck diagnosed as granulocytic sarcoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 6 cases between 1992 and 2004 that met inclusion criteria. Subjects' age ranged from 22 months to 14 years old. In three cases, the patients were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on biopsy results; 2 patients were already diagnosed with AML when diagnosed with granulocytic sarcoma, and in 1 case, a relapse of AML was diagnosed. In all cases, patients began induction chemotherapy. Two patients died during induction chemotherapy from infection. The remaining 4 patients underwent bone marrow transplants. One patient had a relapse post-transplant and died. Only one patient was healthy two years post-transplant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this series suggest granulocytic sarcoma must be on the differential when tumors present in the head and neck region in pediatric patients. In our series, 100% of the patients with granulocytic sarcoma had underlying AML. The long-term prognosis of patients with AML who developed granulocytic sarcoma is quite poor.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Children's Specialty Center, Minneapolis, MN 55404, USA. barne284@umn.edu
authors.forename: Brianne Barnett
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Roby
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drehner
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sidman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D060828:Induction Chemotherapy; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D023981:Sarcoma, Myeloid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Chloroma; Granulocytic sarcoma; Myeloid sarcoma